Electric outlet socket



y 1953 c. E. WOODSIDE ET AL 2,637,790

ELECTRIC OUTLET SOCKET Original Filed Oct. 25, 1948 I v, 47 J 26 WW 2 "WAM Na N M; u FIG- 4- I. k/ E Waodsida l2 4 2 Wilbur RSmff/l F I G 3 '3'Albert L. Woods d A. A D e" for:

Patented May 5, 1953 ELECTRIC OUTLET SOCKET Charles E. Woodside,Spokane, and Wilbur R. Smith, Colfax, Wash., and Albert L. Woodside,Butte, Mont., and Zenas A. Armstrong, Spokane, Wash.

Original application October 23, 1948, Serial No.

56,072. Divided and this application November 20, 1950, Serial No.196,578

2 Claims. (01. zoo-51.13)

This invention relates to an electric outlet socket and the presentapplication constitutes a division from the copending application filedOctober 23, 1948, and having Ser. No. 56,072, now Patent No. 2,562,592,July 31, 1951.

One object of the invention is to provide a socket which may beconnectedwith conductor wires extending from a ceiling and used as adrop light,

Another object of the invention is to provide a socket of suchconstruction that a shell for receiving a terminal plug may be turnedfrom a position in which a circuit is completed to a position forbreaking the circuit and thus allow the circuit to be broken when a plugis removed and eliminate danger of a person receiving an electric shockby accidently thrusting a finger into a socket from which a plug hasbeen removed.

Another object of the invention is to so form the socket that it mayhave associated with it a key for effecting movement of a movablecontact into and out of engagement with a stationary contact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a socket of this characterwhich is easy to assemble or take apart and will not be liable to getout of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional viewtaken longitudinally through the socket.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken transversely through the socket alongthe line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified constructionwherein the switch is omitted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sleeve which is rotatably mounted inthe socket.

Fig. 5 is a view of a plug used with the socket.

This socket has a housing I or shell formed of insulation and about itslower end the housing is formed with a circumferentially extendinginwardly projecting flange 2 defining a central opening 3 and having itsunder or outer surface 4 beveled to form a guide for directing a plugthrough the opening 3.

An insert or socket 5 formed of insulation fits into the housing throughthe open upper end thereof with its annular wall spaced from the annularwall of the housing, thus providing space 6 in the housing about thesocket. At its upper end the socket is surrounded by a collar 1 which isthreaded and screwed into the internally threaded upper end portion ofthe housing, the collar being of such thickness that when the lower endof the socket is bearing against the inner surface of the flange 2 theupper portion of the collar projects upwardly from the shell. Thereforea cap 8 may be screwed upon the protruding upper portion of the collar.This cap is formed at its center with an opening 9 through which passthe drop cord wires I0. Within the socket 5 fits a sleeve II which isalso formed of insulation and at its lower end rests upon the flange 2..The annular wall of the sleeve is formed with diametrically opposedslots I2 which lead from the lower end of the sleeve and register withrecesses 0r notches I3 formed in the marginal edge of the flange indiametrically opposed relation to each other. The slots l2 communicatewith openings I4 formed through the wall of the socket 5 and extendingcircumferentially thereof, and into the openings I4 project free endportions of resilient contact strips I5. These contact strips extendcircumferentially of the socket in grooves I6 and are secured by screws,free ends of the contact strips being bent to form seats I8 into whichfit contacts I9 projecting from opposite sides of a plug 20. p

The plug is circular in cross section and is thrust into the sleevethrough the opening .3 with its contacts passing through the notches I3and the slots I2 and into the openings I4. When turning movement isimparted to the plug, the sleeve turns with it and outer ends of thecontacts I9 move along inner surfaces of the contacts I5 and into theseats I8. Therefore current will be conducted to the center contact 2|and the shell 22 of the plug and a bulb screwed into the shell will belighted. When the bulb is turned in a direction to unscrew it from theshell, the sleeve may be turned with it to move contacts I9 away fromcontacts I5 to break the circuit. Instead of providing the plug 20 witha center contact and a shell for reception of a bulb the plug may be ofsuch construction that the prongs of a terminal plug for an extensioncord may be thrust into engagement with com-- parisbn contacts of theplug 20.

In order to releasably hold the sleeve in the position shown in- Figure2 with the contacts of the inserted plug out of engagement with thecontact strips lli there has been provided a latch strip 23formedofresilient metal. This latch strip is bowed "longitudinally andfits into a groove 24 formed in the end wall 25 of the sleeve II. Thisgroove extends diametrically of the sleeve and ends of the latch stripproject from the plug is removed and an electriflz Shochwill';

not be received if a finger; is; thrust. intopthei socket of the plugfrom whichea bulb. has: been removed.

One of the drop-cord wires l ll;is ,passed-.down.-.

wardly through the openingniinthe uppenportion of the socket and isattached to the adja;

cent screw 11. The other drop cord wire isconnected with a screw 29carried by a stationary contact 30 which is partially embedded in theupper portion of thesocket and: projects. into a: pocket 3i leadingfromthetupperv end thereof. A movable contact 32 formed. of resilientvmetal is secured at one endiby the other screwwfl -andtex tendsupwardly along the socket; theupper por tion' of the strip fromwhichtthe movablewon tact is formed being-bent so that' itjextends-lintothe pocket and has its free end disposed under" the'stationary contact.The movable contact' is biased towards the stationary: contact. and inorder to permit a circuit to-bebrokenbyseparation of the contactsthereh'as been providew akey 33- having its stenpw 34 rotatable-mountedthrough an opening 35 in-the--wall-of the housing;

or shell I and-engaged -w-ith-a-shaft 36-=carryinga cam disk 31.-movable-contactand by-turning-thekey the shaft will be rotated-andthe=cam- Will pressthe mov able contact away from-the-stationai'y'contacti, and break the circuit; Therefore-abulb=serewed--into the socket 22 of the plug-may bealighted or extinguished bymeans-of the key but-when the bulb is removed an electricshock=-can';not;be-aocidently received as the contacts; l9 are -moved' out ofengagementwith-contacts l=during-removal of the bulb.

The socket shown-in Figure 3 of "a. somewhat different constructionfromi thatillustrated in Figure 1 but certain of-"itselements are'ofthesame construction and these elements are, designated by the samereference. numbers This socket is shorter than that-showni F ure land,the drop cord wires are both connectedtwith. screws H, the stationarycontact and tl1e com parison movable contactand, actuating key; being,omitted. It is therefore notnecessarwto proyideu a pocket in theupperportiorrofthe:socketl5'1and. this socket and the shelhmayv beef,reduced.

length. It is, however necessarytoformtheup per portion ofthesocket-with a se.cond.,opening 28' to receive the second wire I 0.Inthisembodi ment of the invention closing ofgthe circuit is, onlyaccomplished by ,turningof, thesleeve ,l l .and, consequent movement. ofthe, contacts. I .l. of. an,v inserted plug into engagementwiththe,contact,

strips I 5.

Having thus described the. invention.what;v is.

claimed is:

l. A power outlet comprisingaibody ofdnsula-p tion formed with asocketopen at its ,.lower;.end,-, contacts carried by the, body. atoppositesides of 4 The cam i dislc islocated over the 4 the socket andhaving portions exposed through side openings in the wall of the socket,a sleeve in said socket rotatable therein and being open at its lowerend and near its upper end formed with side openings movable into andout of positi orr. touregist'er with the side. openings; of the socketby turning movement of the sleeve in the socket, a shell removablymounted about the body and having an inwardly projecting annular fiangeiabout. its lower end overlapping walls of the socket and the sleeveand rotatably holding the sleeve: the socket, said body having its upperportion formed with a pocket located above the' socket-andopen at itsupper end, a stationary contact in said pocket adapted to have a powerwire; connected; thereto, a movable contact strip leading-v fromone=oontact of the body into the pocketzand overlapped by the stationarycontact and. normally engaging the stationary contact, and the othercontact carried by the body being adapted to have a power wireattachedto it..

2:v A power outlet comprising a body offinsulae tion;,forme d with asocket open at its lower end,. contacts vcarriedby'saidbody at opposite.sidesot' the upper-portion. of saidlsocket, asleeve insaid.

- socketopen at'its lower endifor reception of a fittedinto the sleeve,a shell'removably mounted.

about said socket and at itslower." end. having an inwardly projectingflange. overlapping. lower ends of'.walls ,of"the socket and thesleevesaid body'beingformed abovethe socketwith a pocket having an open upperend,-.a .stationarycontactt in said pocket adapted tohaveapoweriwireC011?" nected withit; one of the contacts.atoppositav side oi the socket,being. also .adapted., to haveia, power wire connected with. it, .the.upper portion of, the body at one side of the pocket being formed,-with a passage for. reception of thelast. m.en-

tioned power. wire, a movable contact consisting,"

ofa strip. of. resilient metal connected-with the contact .at,.tlie.other: side. of, the'socket-land ex tending upwardly along the outersurface ofthe. socket. with.its upper. portion. passing, into ,the lowerportion of thepocket. and, overlapped. by the stationary contactandmovable into; and. out. of "engagement with the stationary contact, and.a cap removably,thr.eaded..to the upper end oftthe body above the shel1in covering,relatiomtmthe; pocket. and, formed. with a passagefor thesaid power wires.

CHARLES EZ WOODSIDE? WILBUR R3 SNHTH. ALBERT L. VVOODSIDE. ZENAS A;ARMSTRGNG.

References Cited in the file of.,this.patent..

UNITED :STATES.-PATENTS Number.- Name Date 1,238,459. Tregoning Aug;28,1917- 2,119 ,'428.; Englar- May'31; 1938 2,148,875? Perkins Feb.28,1939 2,454,221 Seals Nov.- 16;- 1948" 2,5.11;03.7; Bedoiseau-June=13, 1950.

FOREIGN PATENTS.

Number. Country Date 1,581 Great Britain;- "189.7 116,841. Germany. J am3, 1900s

